WSSSC OFFICIAL KICKBALL RULES Revised 2018.S PLAYING FIELD AND EQUIPMENT 1. The Playing Field 2. Equipment OFFICIALS 3. Referees PARTICIPANTS 4. Player Eligibility 5. Teams 6. Substitutions 7. Base Coaches GAME PLAY 8. Regulation Games TABLE OF CONTENTS 9. Pitching and Catching 10. Kicking 11. Running and Scoring 12. Strikes 13. Balls 14. Fairs and Fouls 15. Outs 16. Ball In Play 17. Injuries 18. Wacky Rules INDOOR KICKBALL 19. Indoor Field Provision PLAYING FIELD AND EQUIPMENT 1. THE PLAYING FIELD 1.01 The Winston-Salem Sports and Social Club (WSSSC) will designate a safe field suitable for play. 1.02 The kicking box is a trapezoid with the front of the box aligned with the front of home plate. 1.03 The area directly forward the kicking box, including home plate is fair territory. The kicker is required to start with at least one foot in the kicking box; the kick must occur within the kicking box. 1.04 The strike zone a. Kickball Field- At least part of the ball crossing home plate is a strike. b. Baseball / Softball Field- At least part of the ball crossing home plate or an area extending one foot on each side of home plate is a strike. 1.05 The area beyond the farthest two cones from home plate on the first and third base lines is in play. 1.06 All participants must respect and obey all rules and regulations pertaining to the field used for play during all WSSSC games. Drugs or Alcohol are prohibited on or around the field of play at all times. Participants breaking field rules will be ejected from the game and the field for the remainder of the game and the next scheduled game. A second offense will result in expulsion from the league. 1.07 Upon notification to the umpire of any improper field set up, the field shall be corrected before the beginning of the next play. Protest based on field set up will not be considered. a. The Extra Base is only available for runners traveling from home plate. b. Fielders trying to make an out on first base must touch the base in fair territory (the First Base). Runners hindered by a fielder touching the base in foul territory (the Extra Base), will be safe. c. Runners not attempting to advance to second base and touching the First Base will be out if a play is being made at first base. 2. EQUIPMENT 2.01 While participating in WSSSC kickball, players must properly wear and fully display the official league-sponsored clothing designated for their use. Teams with players who fail to abide by this rule may forfeit that game. 2.02 Teams with players who fail to abide by rule 2.01 are subject to an out after the last kicker & before the first kicker in the line-up. This will occur every time through the line-up. Note- If one or many players do not have shirts, this offense will still occur only once per time through the line-up. 2.03 Athletic shoes are required. Metal cleats are not allowed. 2.04 Players may wear protective equipment providing it does not offer the wearer an unfair performance advantage. Any equipment deemed by the umpire as a performance enhancement must be removed or the player will be removed from play. 2.05 The official kickball is the red kickball with a pressure of approx. 1 pound per square inch. 2.06 The uniform is an extension of the player. OFFICIALS 3. REFEREES 3.01 Games will be officiated by at least one WSSSC designated umpire. The referee governs all game play and issues and has final authority on all rulings. 3.02 The only participants who may dispute a call are the team's designated Captain and Co-Captain. 3.03 At the start of each game, the referee(s) should remind the players: a. All fielders must stay behind the 1 st /3 rd base diagonal line until the ball is kicked. b. The catcher must play behind the kicker.
c. The kicker must kick on or behind home plate. d. Once any fielder has the ball in control and is in the pitching area, base runners are no longer advancing, and/or the referee raises his hands and calls time, the play ends. 3.04 Referees have jurisdiction over play and may: a. Call a time out. b. Call off a game due to time, rain or other cause at the referee's discretion. c. Penalize a player, including game ejection, for any reason. This includes but is not limited to un-sportsman like conduct, fighting, delay of game and excessive verbal abuse. Ejected participants must leave the field area and may not return to the game. d. Cancel the game if lightning or hazardous weather conditions are present. 3.05 Referees may make rulings on any points not specifically covered in the rules (at the time of occurrence), but the ruling shall not be deemed as a precedent for future rulings. PARTICIPANTS 4. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY 4.01 All participants must meet the following requirements: a. Must be 21 years of age or older by the date of the first game. b. Must be adequately and currently health insured against any injury that may arise from kickball play. c. Must be properly registered with WSSSC by filling out a player contract. 4.02 A player may only sign up for one team per night. 5. TEAMS 5.01 Each team must consist of a minimum of ten (10) and no more than eighteen (18) registered players (Teams may have more registered players but the team fee will increase). 5.02 Teams must field at least eight (8) players and no more than ten (10). Minimum of 4 female & the maximum of 5 males in the field. 5.03 Teams must field a minimum of four (4) female players to avoid forfeit. Teams may play with less than five (5) male players but must have a minimum of eight (8) players on the field. 5.04 One player must play the position of catcher. 5.05 At any time during the game teams may only field one pitcher and one catcher. 5.06 Each team shall have one Captain and one Co-Captain who are jointly responsible for the team. The Team Captains must ensure that players do not kick out of order. Kicking out of order will result in an out for that kicker in the lineup. 5.07 The kicking lineup does not require a specific gender order. 5.08 Only the Captain or Co-Captain may dispute calls with the Head Referee. A team Captain may raise protest with the Referee for blatant rule infraction, but will accept the Head Referee s final ruling. 5.09 Protests beyond the Head Referee will be considered by the WSSSC at its discretion. 5.010 Each team will be responsible to keep score in an official scorebook. 5.011 The team Captains must provide kicking lineup to the head official up to five (5) minutes prior to the start of the game. a. All lineup changes must be brought to the head official before the change can occur. b. Any eligible player that shows up after that game has begun must be added to the end of the lineup. c. A claim of improper kicking order must be made to the Head Referee who will make the final determination. d. Such a claim must occur on the field prior to the end of the next kicker. 5.012 Players in the kicking lineup may switch their fielding positions freely without incurring substitution penalties. 6. SUBSTITUTIONS 6.01 A substitute player is defined as a player not included in the initial kicking line-up provided to the official at the start of the game. 6.02 A player IS NOT considered a substitute player if they were included in the initial kicking line-up provided to the official at the start of the game. Players already in the initial kicking line-up may switch freely with fielders between innings. 6.03 If a player is substituted out of the game, they may not reenter the game. 6.04 When a player is substituted into the game, they must be entered in the same spot in the lineup as the player they replaced. 7. BASE COACHES 7.01 Two members of the kicking team may coach first and third base. The base coaches must assist in retrieving foul and/or dead balls and may switch with other team members to remain in the proper kicking order. 7.02 Base coaches may not physically assist runners while the ball is in play. Assisting the runner may result in the runner being called out. 7.03 Base coaches must allow the fielders the right to make a play on a live and/or playable ball in foul territory.
GAME PLAY 8. REGULATION GAMES 8.01 Regulation games last seven (7) full innings or 55 minutes. 8.02 In the event of a tie score at the end of the game, the game shall be continued until the tie has been resolved. 8.03 Inning eight (8), and all subsequent innings or after time has expired, a. Inning will start with the bases loaded. b. Last three kickers of the previous inning will be placed on the bases at the umpire s direction. 8.04 A game that is called off by the Referee after four (4) full innings of play shall be considered a regulation game. The game score at the end of the last full inning shall determine the winner. Regulation games called off that are in a tie will be played over at a later date. 8.05 A game that is called off by the Referee for any reason before four (4) full innings of play shall not be considered a regulation game and shall be rescheduled from the beginning. 8.06 Grace Period: The WSSSC will grant a grace period for teams to achieve roster minimums once the game start time has passed: a. Minimums can only be achieved when all players are on the field/sidelines designated for play. b. Teams needing a grace period will automatically be assigned as the visiting team. c. The grace period will take place in two successive parts: 8.6.c.1. Teams get five (5) minutes, of game time, to achieve its minimums. 8.6.c.2. Following the passage of five (5) minutes, the game will begin; the visiting team will play until one of the following events occurs: 8.6.c.2.1. The visiting team completes their half inning (3 outs) or, 8.6.c.2.2. The visiting team completes (1) passage through the lineup whichever happens first. d. If the minimums are not achieved by the end of the grace period, the game will be a forfeit. 8.07 No new inning may begin five (5) minutes before the end of the game unless the score is tied. (i.e. if the game began at 6:45, no new inning may begin after 7:35) 8.08 Mercy Rule: A game is considered over if one team has a lead of a. 20 or more runs after three (3) innings. b. 15 or more runs after four (4) innings. c. 10 or more runs after five (5) or six (6) innings. 8.09 A team playing a non-registered person, an improperly registered person or a person not registered on that team will forfeit that game. a. The team accused of the infraction bears the burden of proof. b. If such an infraction is claimed after a game, the infraction must be announced to the Head Referee before the start of the next scheduled game. 8.010 Game protests must be made before the end of the game. 9. PITCHING AND CATCHING 9.01 Pitching must be done by hand. 9.02 The pitcher: a. Must start the act of pitching within the pitching square b. Must release the ball from the hand within the pitching square. c. Must be within the pitching area when the ball is kicked. 9.03 A bouncy called is due to a pitched ball that: a. Does not touch the ground at least twice before reaching home plate. If the second bounce occurs on home plate it will be considered a ball. b. The ball exceeds one foot in height (from the bottom of the ball) as it to reaching home plate. 9.04 No player may field forward the 1st-3rd base diagonal other than the catcher until the ball is kicked. 9.05 During and after the pitch, the pitcher may start pitching ahead of the 1 st -3 rd base diagonal as long as they remain inside the pitching area. 9.06 The catcher: a. Must field directly behind the kicker (may stand behind the kicking box). b. Cannot cross home plate nor be positioned forward of the kicker before the ball is kicked. c. Must give the kicker an adequate amount of space (one (1) yard) to kick. 10. KICKING 10.01 All kicks must be made by the foot or leg, and be below the knee. Any ball touched by the foot or leg below the knee is a kick; otherwise it will be counted as a foul. 10.02 All kicks must occur: a. At or behind home plate. The kicker may step on home plate to kick, however no part of the kicking foot (while kicking) may be in front of or cross the front edge of the home plate. b. Within the kicking box. The kicker must have at least a portion of the kicking foot within the kicking box during the kick. The kicker is required to start in the kicking box. 10.03 Bunting is allowed.
10.04 A +3 male to female ratio must be maintained in the kicking lineup. (i.e. if you have five (5) female kickers you may only bat up to eight (8) male kickers. Extra male kickers would have to be substituted into the game.) 11. RUNNING AND SCORING 11.01 Runners must stay within the base path. 11.02 Fielders must stay out of the base path. Fielders trying to make an out on base may have their foot on base, but must lean out of the baseline. Runners hindered by any fielder within the base line, not making an active play for the ball, shall be safe at the base to which they were running. 11.03 Leading off base or stealing a base is NOT allowed. A runner may advance once the ball is kicked. A runner off of his/her base when the ball is kicked is out. 11.04 Tag-Ups are only required before advancement on a caught ball. If the runner has not moved off of base before the ball is touched or caught by a fielder, the runner may run forward without a forced tag up. 11.05 There will be no infield fly rule. 11.06 Runners may overrun the Extra Base. 11.07 Base Running on Overthrows; a. An overthrow is a ball thrown, kicked, or deflected out of play (each field will be marked) while making a defensive play toward a player or base. b. Once the ball reaches out of play the umpire will call time and advance the runners accordingly. c. A runner may advance only one base beyond the last base touched when the ball travels into the out of play territory. d. When a live ball is unintentionally carried by a fielder from playable territory into a dead ball area, the ball becomes dead immediately. All base runners are awarded one base from the last base touched at the time the fielder enters dead ball territory. 11.08 A run scores when a runner touches home plate before the third out is made, EXCEPT that no run can score when the third out is made during a force play situation, or when the kicker is put out before touching first base. At the end of a game the team with the most runs wins. 12. STRIKES 12.01 A count of three (3) strikes is an out. 12.02 A strike is: a. A pitch within the strike zone that is not kicked. b. A pitched ball that hits any part of home plate after its second bounce. c. An attempted kick missed by the kicker inside or outside of the strike zone. 12.03 Foul balls count as strikes: a. Following a kicker s second strike, an additional foul ball will be granted and will not count as a strike. b. Following a kicker s second strike, the second foul ball will count as an out. 13. BALLS 13.01 A count of four (4) balls advances the kicker to second base. 13.02 If a male kicker is walked and a female kicker follows in the lineup, she has the option to kick or advance to first base. 13.03 A ball is: a. A pitch outside of the strike zone as judged by the Referee where a kick is not attempted. b. An illegal bouncy. c. Any catcher crossing home plate or positioned forward the kicker before the ball is kicked. 14. FAIRS AND FOULS 14.01 A foul is: a. A kicked ball landing in foul territory. b. A ball kicked outside of the kicking box. c. A kicked ball that lands in fair territory but under its own power runs into foul territory before it reaches first or third base. d. A kicked ball touched in foul territory or stopped by the kicker in foul territory. e. A kicked ball whose direction is altered by contact with any object other than the ground in foul territory, and called as such. f. A kick made on or above the knee. g. A kicked ball touched more than once in the kicking box or on the plate, or stopped (with the foot) by the kicker in the kicking box. 14.02 A fair is: a. A ball kicked that lands and remains in fair territory. b. A ball kicked that lands in fair territory then travels into foul territory beyond the first and third bases. 14.03 All fair balls are in play unless specifically mentioned in section 15.
15. OUTS 15.01 A count of three (3) outs by a team completes the team's half of the inning. 15.02 An out is: a. A count of three (3) strikes. b. Any kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught by a fielder. c. A ball tag on a base to which a runner is forced to run, before the runner arrives at the base. d. A runner touched by the ball or who touches the ball at ANY time while not on base while the ball is in play. e. A runner off of his/her base when the ball is kicked. f. A runner physically assisted by a base coach during play. g. Any kicker that does not kick in the proper kicking line up. 16. BALL IN PLAY 16.01 Once any player in the field has the ball in control and retains possession on the pitching area, and base runners are no longer advancing, the play ends. 16.02 Interference is: a. When any non-fielder or non-permanent object touches or is touched by a ball in play in fair territory. This interference causes the play to end, and runners shall proceed to the base to which they were headed. b. When any runner on or off base intentionally touches a ball. This interference causes the play to end, the runner to be out, and any other runners shall return to the base from which they came. c. When a ball in foul territory touches any permanent object. This interference causes the play to end, and all runners shall return to the base from which they came. 16.03 During any play where a ball is popped or deflates significantly, that play shall be replayed with a properly inflated ball. 16.04 Sideline area. Prior to the kick, no participants (or spectators) may be in the sideline area except for the kicker, the catcher, referees and designated base coaches. After the kick, fielders and base runners in the process of playing the game may also occupy the sideline area. 17. INJURIES 17.01 In cases of injury or illness, a time-out may be requested for participant removal. If the participant later returns to play, the participant must be inserted in the same lineup position previously held. 17.02 If a player is ejected, injured, or becomes ill and cannot continue, the lineup order will continue in the same formation, less the removed player. 17.03 Injured players who do not kick shall not play in the game. 17.04 Only runners who are injured while traveling to a base, and who successfully make it to a base, may be substituted. All runner substitutions must be the last out of the same sex. There are no other allowable runner substitutions. 18. WACKY RULES 18.01 Each team may designate one inning (before the game) for a wacky rule. a. Wacky rules are optional. Teams are not required. b. Wacky rules last the complete inning. c. Wacky rule has to be completed by the 4 th inning of the game. d. Each team is responsible for letting the umpire know it s their inning for the wacky rule. A team has until the first out of the top of the inning to do so or their wacky rule is forfeited. 18.02 Wacky rules have to be approved by the umpire. 18.03 All wacky rules are subject to review and can be determined inadmissible for future games.
INDOOR KICKBALL 19. INDOOR FIELD PROVISIONS 19.01 Ceiling in Play: A kicked ball remains live when it touches the ceiling. Following a bounce, or multiple bounces off the ceiling, if immediately following the ball: a. Is landing fair, it is considered in play and eligible to be caught as a pop fly, as long as it has not yet contacted the ground, hit an out-of-play wall (see Rule 19.02b or 19.02c). The kicker should treat this like a normal kick. Runner(s) should be cautious and treat this like a normal pop fly. b. Is landing foul, it is considered a foul ball and is eligible to be caught as a pop fly, otherwise when it touches foul territory or a foul wall (see Rule 19.02a), it is counted as a foul ball against the kicker. c. Touches an out-of play wall (see Rule 19.02b), the ball is considered dead; the ball may not be played, runners may not advance, and it is counted as a foul ball against the kicker. 19.02 Walls a. 1st Base Wall: Foul and in play. 19.2.a.1. If the kicked ball touches this wall before being played by a defender in fair territory, or before it passes first base, it is considered a foul ball. 19.2.a.2. This wall is in play once the ball has been fairly played by the defense. b. 3rd Base Wall: Out of play 19.2.b.1. Any time the ball touches this wall, it will be considered dead. 19.2.b.2. If the kicked ball hits this wall on the fly, it is considered a dead and a foul ball. 19.2.b.3. If the kicked ball hits this wall on the ground and the ball: 19.2.b.3.1. 19.2.b.3.2. Has not passed third base, it is a dead foul ball. Has passed third base (is a fair ball), it is a dead ball and runners will be advanced one base past the previous base touched. c. If a ball in play is played against this wall by any defensive player, it is considered out of play and is a dead ball; runners will advance one base past the previous base touched. d. Wall between left field and the deepest of three columns in left-center field, including the column: Any ball that touches this wall on the fly is eligible to be caught as a pop fly, otherwise it is in play. e. Wall between the deepest of three columns in left-center field, through deep center field, and right field: Any ball that touches this wall is in play and will be treated as a ground ball, regardless of if it was caught on the fly. 19.03 Basketball Goals: a. 3rd Base Line Goal: This goal is out of play and is enforced the same way as the wall behind it. (see Rule 19.02b) b. Right Center Field Goal: Any ball that touches this goal is in play and will be treated as a ground ball, regardless of if it was caught on the fly. 19.04 Stuck Balls: If the ball gets stuck on the walls or goals: a. In fair territory: The kick will be ruled as a ground rule double and runners will advance accordingly at the umpire s discretion. b. In foul territory: The kick will be counted as a foul ball against the kicker. c. Throw a shoe at it. 19.05 Teams must field at least six (6) players and no more than eight (8). Minimum of 3 female & the maximum of 4 males in the field. 19.06 Teams must field a minimum of four (3) female players to avoid forfeit. Teams may play with less than six (4) male players but must have a minimum of eight (6) players on the field.